Bhiwandi building collapse: Why pancake collapses make rescue operations deadlier, explains NDRF officer

Buildings that collapse in a pancake pattern or remain dangerously tilted after a structural failure make rescue operations extremely challenging as victims can be trapped beneath multiple layers of debris with their exact location difficult to determine with rescuers needing to work with extreme caution because of the risk of further collapse says Deepak Tiwari secondincommand operations National Disaster Response Force NDRF midday spoke with Tiwari to know moreExcerpts from the interviewHow many rescue ops in Maharashtra this monsoonAlthough the India Meteorological Department IMD had initially predicted belownormal rainfall this year due to the El Nino effect Maharashtra has witnessed heavy rainfall at around 10 to 12 locations As a result the NDRF carried out intensive rescue operations across Maharashtra In several places we faced severe flooding waterlogging and landslide situations requiring rapid deployment of rescue teams and specialised equipmentWhich locations witnessed major rescue operationsSignificant flooding was reported from Palghar Raigad and Lonavala among other locations In Lonavala NDRF teams rescued around 130 people stranded due to heavy rain and waterlogging In Palghar around 57 people were rescued from floodaffected areas In another operation about 23 people were evacuated and two bodies were retrievedDeepak Tiwari secondincommand operations NDRFCan you tell us about the Bhiwandi building collapse operationThe incident occurred on Friday at the fourstorey Kohinoor Building Balaji Nagar Gangaram Wada Narpoli Bhiwandi mdash an old structure undergoing redevelopment and repair work The rescue operation continued for around seven hours before 10 bodies could be retrievedThe main challenge was that most of the affected people were believed to be on the ground floor but we did not know their exact location The structure suffered a pancaketype collapse in which the floors collapsed directly one over another making search and rescue operations extremely difficultWhat was another major rescue op carried out by NDRF this season in MaharashtraAnother significant operation was conducted at Moshi in Pune district after a threestorey building near the Moshi Garbage Depot was affected when a garbage mound collapsed against the structure The rescue operation continued for nearly 30 hours Initially nine people were rescued alive within a very short time while one body had been recovered during the early stages of the operationThe structure had tilted forward in a cantilever position making it highly unstable and creating serious risks for rescue personnel In addition the accumulated garbage also created an extra hazardextra hazard making it difficult for our teams We had to clear the debris carefully before proceeding with the search and rescue operation Subsequently a total of ten bodies were retrieved from the debrisWhat are the major challenges in such urban rescue operationsOperations involving collapsed buildings and unstable structures are always complex The key challenges include locating trapped victims beneath multiple layers of debris In cases such as Bhiwandi and Moshi structural instability significantly slowed the rescue process and required continuous monitoringHow prepared is the NDRF for the monsoon in MaharashtraNDRF teams are strategically stationed across Maharashtra to ensure a quick response to emergencies A major deployment has been maintained in Nagpur and additional teams were sent to Kolhapur Satara Ratnagiri Mumbai Palghar and other vulnerable districts depending on emerging flood situationsOur teams remain alert during the monsoon period with equipment for flood rescue operations The objective is to ensure rapid mobilisation whenever heavy rainfall flooding landslides structuralcollapse incidents or any emergencies are reported anywhere in Maharashtra